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Action Comics 252
"The Menace of Metallo!" is the title to the first story featured in issue #252 of the action/sci-fi comic book series ''Action Comics'', published by DC Comics. The story was written by Robert Bernstein and illustrated by Al Plastino. It is notable for introducing the character of Metallo. The second story in this issue is a Congo Bill feature entitled "Congo Bill Dies at Dawn!" and is also written by Robert Bernstein, but illustrated and inked by Howard Sherman. The third story in this issue is "The Supergirl from Krypton!", written by Otto Binder with artwork by Al Plastino. This issue was edited by Mort Weisinger and features a cover art illustration of Superman and Supergirl drawn by Curt Swan and inked by Al Plastino. This issue shipped with a May, 1959 cover date and carries a cover price of 10 cents per copy (US). "The Menace of Metallo" John Corben is an unscrupulous reporter that works in the Metropolis area. Aside from his mustache, Corben is practically the spitting image of Superman. While driving his car, Corben gets into a terrible accident and is nearly killed. His broken body is taken to the laboratory of Professor Vale who replaces Corben's failing limbs with a super-strong metallic alloy. He replaces his heart with a surrogate pump made of Uranium and covers the endoskeleton with a foam-latex sheathe resembling human skin. The operation is a success, but soon after, Professor Vale suffers from a mild stroke. Dubbed Metallo, Corben begins his new life – a life of crime. Metallo's Uranium heart will only last for one day before it needs to be replaced, so Metallo begins breaking into various facilities to steal more Uranium. Whenever he feels his Uranium stores running low, Metallo becomes weak and dizzy. Corben gets a job at the Daily Planet and begins courting Lois Lane. Lois is enamored with Corben due to his physical resemblance to Superman – a fact that invariably irritates Clark Kent. Professor Vale meanwhile, discovers that Kryptonite can work just as effectively at powering Metallo as Uranium, but with the added benefit that it will no longer need to be recharged. Metallo steals a Kryptonite rock from a local exhibition hall and has Vale implant it into his chest. Metallo learns that Kryptonite can also destroy Superman. Certain that Superman will likely try to arrest him for his recent crimes, Metallo decides to use the power of his Kryptonite heart to strike the first blow against the Man of Steel. He baits a trap for Superman, but Superman manages to avoid exposure to Kryptonite and pursues Metallo. He chases him back to Lois Lane's apartment when suddenly Metallo begins to feel weak. What neither Vale nor Metallo realize was that the Kryptonite that had been used to power his heart was actually fake. It was nothing more than an ordinary rock painted green to resemble Kryptonite. Unable to recharge himself, Metallo falls over dead from a heart attack. DC Database Project; Action Comics #252; "The Menace of Metallo!" Appearances * Superman, Kal-El * Jimmy Olsen * Lois Lane * Perry White * Metallo * Professor Vale * Edith * * Cyborgs * Humans * Kryptonians * Metropolis :* Daily Planet * Kryptonite :* Green kryptonite * None * "Congo Bill Dies at Dawn!" While leading an expedition through the desert, Congo Bill stops at an apparently deserted oasis. But the water has been drugged, and the expedition passes out. When they awaken they find they are prisoners inside a nearby outpost that has been taken over by renegades. Bill, who is imprisoned separately from the others, rubs his magic ring and soon Congorilla is attacking the fort and freeing the expedition. Comics.org; Action Comics #252; mini-summary Appearances * Congo Bill, William Glenmorgan * Congorilla * Janu * Unnamed renegades * None * None * Apes :* Gorillas * Humans * Africa :* Republic of the Congo * Kawolo's magic ring * None * Bio-conversion "The Supergirl from Krypton!" Clark Kent is working alone in his office one afternoon when he catches something out of the corner of his eye. Using his x-ray vision, he witnesses a purple colored rocket ship crash landing several miles away. Switching into his Superman costume, he flies off to investigate. When he arrives, he is shocked to discover that the rocket's sole occupant is another Kryptonian – a young blonde-haired girl named Kara. Kara tells Superman that her home town, Argo City was blasted free of Krypton's destruction in a bubble of compressed air. The island soared through space as a free-floating planetoid. Her father was a scientist named Zor-El who created a force field bubble around the city to contain the atmosphere and also coated the ground with sheets of lead to prevent traces of Kryptonite in the ground from poisoning the populace. Years later, when Kara was a teenager, a meteor shower in space penetrated the air bubble and tore through the lead shielding. In order to save his daughter from Kryptonite poisoning, Zor-El designed a space ship to rocket her away from the city. His wife learned of the existence of Earth, and its Kryptonian hero, Superman. They chose to send Kara to Earth so that she can be with one of her own. Superman realizes that Kara's father, Zor-El, was the brother of his own father, making the two of them cousins. He is elated to find another Kryptonian but remorseful for the fact that like he, Kara is now an orphan. Superman cannot take charge of Kara because he needs to protect his own secret identity. However, he flies her to the nearby town of Midvale and registers her at the Midvale Orphanage. He provides her with a brown pig-tailed wig, and Kara chooses the name Linda Lee as her new Earth name. Superman promises to train Kara in her new super-powers, stating that this Supergirl will become his new secret weapon against fighting crime. After Superman leaves, Kara settles in at the orphanage. She begins testing her new powers by cleaning her room with super-breath and fixing a bent iron bed leg with super-strength. She cannot wait for her first official adventure as Supergirl. DC Database Project; Action Comics #252; "The Supergirl from Krypton!" Appearances * Superman, Kal-El * Supergirl, Kara Zor-El * None * Allura In-Ze * Miss Hart * Mister Dixon * Zor-El * None * Humans * Kryptonians * Metropolis :* Daily Planet :* Midvale ::* Midvale Orphanage * Krypton * Argo City * Kryptonite :* Green kryptonite * Space telescope * Supergirl's rocket ship * Flight * Super-breath * Super-strength * Superhuman durability * Telescopic vision * X-ray vision Notes & Trivia * Superman appeared last in the third story in ''Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane'' #9. Following the third story in this issue, he appears next in ''Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen'' #37. * Congo Bill appeared last in the second story in ''Action Comics'' #251. He appears next in the second story in ''Action Comics'' #253. * Congorilla appeared last in the second story in ''Action Comics'' #251. He appears next in the second story in ''Action Comics'' #253. * Janu the Jungle Boy appeared last in the second story in ''Action Comics'' #251. He appears next in the second story in ''Action Comics'' #253. * Jimmy Olsen appeared last in the third story in ''Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane'' #9. He appears next in ''Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen'' #37. * Lois Lane appeared last in the third story in ''Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane'' #9. She appears next in ''Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen'' #37. * Perry White appeared last in the third story in ''Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane'' #9. He appears next in ''Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen'' #37. * Professor Emmett Vale's first name is not provided in this story. In the Post-Crisis introduction of the character, Vale's first name is identified as Emmett. Superman, Volume 2 #1 * This issue presents the first appearance of the Silver Age Supergirl, Kara Zor-El. Kara is not to be confused with the magical entity Super-Girl who predates Kara's perennial appearance by nearly one year. Superman, Volume 1 #123 * Supergirl makes a chronologically earlier appearance in flashback in ''Action Comics'' #316. She appears next in ''Action Comics'' #253. * This issue is the first appearance of Supergirl's parents Zor-El and Allura In-Ze (Allura is not referenced by name in this issue). Both characters appear in flashback only. Their first actual appearance takes place in ''Action Comics'' #309. * This issue is the first and only appearance of John Corben as Metallo. The role of Metallo is later assumed by his brother, Roger who attempts to avenge John's death by killing Superman. Superman, Volume 1 #310 * Mister Dixon of the Midvale Orphanage is not named until the third story in ''Action Comics'' #253. * John Corben's Metallo character is resurrected for the Post-Crisis environment. Similar to his Pre-Crisis counterpart, Corben is the beneficiary of Professor Vale's genius and is transformed into a cybernetic entity with a Kryptonite heart. Superman, Volume 2 #1 * Supergirl chooses the name Linda Lee as her civilian identity on Earth. Ironically, the name fits the double "L" naming convention common to many of the women in Superman's life. Reprints The stories from this issue are reprinted in the following volumes: "The Menace of Metallo!" * DC Silver Age Classics: Action Comics 252 * Millennium Edition: Action Comics 252 * Showcase Presents Superman 1 * Superman 217 * Superman Annual 2 "Congo Bill Dies at Dawn!" * DC Silver Age Classics: Action Comics 252 * Millennium Edition: Action Comics 252 "The Supergirl from Krypton!" * Action Comics 334 * DC Silver Age Classics: Action Comics 252 * DC Special Series 19 * Millennium Edition: Action Comics 252 * Supergirl Archives 1 * Superman Annual 1 * Superman in the Fifties * Showcase Presents Supergirl 1 * Showcase Presents Superman 1 Recommended Reading See also External Links * * * * References ---- Category:Action Comics Vol 1 Category:1959/Comic issues Category:May, 1959/Comic issues Category:Whitney Ellsworth/Executive editor Category:Robert Bernstein/Writer Category:Al Plastino/Cover inker Category:Al Plastino/Penciler Category:Al Plastino/Inker Category:Curt Swan/Cover artist Category:Mort Weisinger/Editor Category:Howard Sherman/Penciler Category:Howard Sherman/Inker Category:Otto Binder/Writer Category:Comic issues with crew categories Category:Comic issues with plot summaries